StarVista’s Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) program strengthens the social-emotional development and school readiness of our community’s high-risk children ages birth to 5 and supports low-income families and caregivers by providing mental health consultation, early intervention services, direct clinical services, and support for parents and caregivers on-site at subsidized childcare centers.
Mental Health Consultation aims to promote the overall quality of care provided to children in group care settings. The consultant partners with providers and parents in identifying, understanding and effectively responding to the social-emotional needs of the children in preschools, family childcare homes and infant/toddler programs. Some of the tasks a mental health consultant performs include:
Program Consultation
· Providing mental health consultation to ECE providers, incorporating reflective practice facilitation into staff meetings and individual meetings with providers
· Supporting ECE providers around many program aspects such as communication between staff, family engagement, and social-emotional learning
· Observing in the classroom or care setting
· Exploring strategies teachers are using to support children and to develop relationships with parents
Working with staff to enhance understanding of specific infant and early childhood mental health topics Case Consultation
· Observing identified children within the programs
· Meeting with parents to better understand the needs of specific children
· Connecting families with community resources and services